A. 
By-District Elections. Pursuant to California Government Code section 34886, all members of the City Council of the City of Palm Springs shall be elected by-district in five single-member districts.
1. 
All members of the City Council shall be elected in the electoral districts established by subsection B of this Section and as subsequently reapportioned pursuant to State law. All City Council elections shall take place "by district" as that term is defined in California Government Code section 34871, meaning each of the five Councilmembers shall be elected from each district, by the voters of that district alone.
2. 
Any Councilmember elected or appointed to represent a district must reside in that district and be a registered voter in that district, and any candidate for City Council must reside in, and be a registered voter in, the district in which he or she seeks election at the time nomination papers are issued.
3. 
Termination of residency in a district by a Councilmember shall create a vacancy for that City Council district unless a substitute residence within the district is immediately declared and established within 30 days after the termination of residency.
4. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, all Councilmembers, including the Councilmember who serves as Mayor, in office at the time this Section takes effect shall continue in office until the expiration of the at-large term to which they were elected. In the event a vacancy occurs before the expiration of the term of a Councilmember, in office at the time this Section takes effect, including the Councilmember who serves as Mayor, a person who is appointed or elected by special election to fill such vacancy may reside anywhere within the corporate boundaries of the City. A person appointed or elected to fill such a vacancy shall hold the office in accordance with the City Charter and applicable provisions of the City of Palm Springs Municipal Code.
B. 
City Council Districts and District Elections. Effective for all Council offices newly elected at the November 8, 2022, General Municipal Election and at each General Municipal Election thereafter, all five Councilmembers shall be elected on a by-district basis from the Council districts shown and numbered on the map titled 'City of Palm Springs District Map - 2022' attached as Exhibit A, a copy of which shall be on file in the City Clerk's office. In November, 2022, and every four years thereafter, the following three City Council districts shall be elected by-district: District 1; District 2; and District 3. In November, 2024, and every four years thereafter, the following two City Council districts shall be elected by-district: District 4 and District 5. The City Council may, by future enactment, change the dates of these elections as required and/or authorized by applicable law. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, and pursuant to California Elections Code § 21626(b) and (a) , each of the Council Members currently in office at the time this Ordinance takes effect shall continue in office until the expiration of the full term to which they were regularly elected or appointed. Any vacancy in or recall election for a Council term currently in effect shall be filled based on the Council districts in effect at the time the current Council term was last regularly elected.
C. 
Amendment of District Boundaries. Pursuant to California Elections Code section 21620, as it may be amended from time to time, the City Council shall adjust the boundaries of any or all of the districts following each federal decennial census or, if authorized by the City Charter, following each federal mid-decade census, to ensure that the districts are in compliance with all applicable provisions of law.
(Ord. 1971 § 2, 2018; Ord. 2060 § 2, 2022)
Commencing with the November, 2020 election, the Palm Springs general municipal elections shall be consolidated with established elections dates and shall be held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday of November of each even-numbered year to coincide with statewide general elections.
In accordance with Sections 1301 and 10403.5 of the California Elections Code, the term of any elected City Councilmember that would have expired in December 2021 and 2023 shall, instead, expire in the same manner, but after the occurrence of the November 2020 and 2022 general municipal elections established by this Ordinance.
(Ord. 1790 § 1, 2011; Ord. 1982 § 2, 2019)
The provisions of Cal. Elections Code § 10220 shall apply to candidates for any of the elective offices in the City except as follows:
(a) 
Each candidate shall be proposed by not less than 80 nor more than 120 voters in the City, but only one candidate may be named in any one Nomination Paper.
(b) 
Only one person may circulate each Section of a Nomination Paper.
(c) 
Not earlier than the 120th day nor later than the 88th day before a municipal election during normal business hours, as posted, the voter may nominate candidates for election by signing a nomination paper.
(Ord. 1790 § 1, 2011)
(a) 
At the time of the issuance of a candidate nomination paper pursuant to applicable laws, each candidate for elective office shall submit to the City Elections Official proof of residency sufficient for the City Elections Official to determine the candidate's residency in the City of Palm Springs.
(b) 
Proof of residency shall be sufficient to demonstrate the candidate is a bona fide resident of the City as reasonably determined by the City Elections Official, and may consist of a California issued driver license, California issued Identification Card, a utility bill at least 30 days old, mortgage documents, property tax statement, lease agreement, or any combination of such documents.
(c) 
If proof of residency is not submitted by a candidate, pursuant to this Section, at the time of the issuance of a nomination paper; or should the City Elections Official not be able to make a clear and final determination of the candidate's residency, the City Elections Official shall issue the candidate a nomination paper and shall imprint in bold the following statement:
"NOTICE TO VOTER. THIS CANDIDATE HAS NOT DEMONSTRATED PROOF OF RESIDENCY IN THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS PURSUANT TO LOCAL LAW. NOMINATION OF THIS CANDIDATE AND ACCEPTANCE AND FILING OF THIS NOMINATION PAPER IS CONDITIONED UPON THE CANDIDATE SUBMITTING PROOF OF BONA FIDE RESIDENCY IN THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS."
(d) 
The City Elections Official shall not accept for filing any candidate nomination paper without proof of residency pursuant to this Section.
(e) 
The decisions of the City Elections Official under this Section are final.
(Ord. 1792 § 1, 2011)
The provisions of Cal. Elections Code § 10221 shall apply with respect to the signatures on Nomination Papers except as follows:
(a) 
The City Elections Official shall provide for four Sections to a Nomination Paper. Each Section of a Nomination Paper shall provide for 30 signatures.
(b) 
Except as provided in subdivision (b) of § 10221 of Cal. Elections Code, the signatures to each Section of a Nomination Paper shall be appended on the same sheet of paper.
(Ord. 1790 § 1, 2011)
(a) 
The provisions of Cal. Elections Code §§ 13307 and 13308, relating to the preparation, form, and submission of candidate statements, shall apply to candidate profiles in mayor and city council elections.
(b) 
Each candidate for the office of Mayor or Member of the City Council may prepare and submit to the Elections Official for printing and circulation a candidate's profile on an appropriate form provided by the Elections Official. The profile may include only the name, age, and occupation of the candidate and a brief description, in no more than 200 words, of the candidate's education and qualifications expressed by the candidate himself or herself. Any candidate profile submitted pursuant to this section shall be limited to a recitation of the candidate's own personal background and qualifications, candidate's qualifications, character, or activities. The profile shall not include the party affiliation of the candidate, nor membership or activity in partisan political organizations.
(c) 
The Elections Official shall not cause to be printed or circulated any profile which the Elections Official determines does not comply with the provisions of this Section. The Elections Official, in his or her sole discretion, after first attempting to consult with the candidate, may strike or modify the portion or portions of the candidate profile that is not in compliance with this Section and thereafter cause to be printed and circulated the candidate's statement as redacted or modified.
(d) 
The decisions of the City Elections Official under this Section are final, subject only to review by the Superior Court in accordance with state law.
(e) 
Notwithstanding the 200-word limitation set forth in subsection (b), the City Council, by resolution, may authorize and increase the limitation on words from 200 to 400 words.
(Ord. 1820 § 1, 2013)
The City Elections Official may issue rules, regulations, notices, memoranda, or conditions from time to time as the City Elections Official deems appropriate or necessary, consistent with the provisions of this Chapter and the Palm Springs Municipal Code.
(Ord. 1792 § 2, 2011)